MBNUT1

Here is one guys warranty claims on an W221 S600 https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w...-thread-4.html and if memory serves me correctly it didn't include a serious oil leak repair that required the engine to be removed. Based on this from maintenance standpoint the W221 S600 is a total loser to put it politely.

DaveW68

Hey.....I know that guy! The turbo oil leak was part of the final repair before I traded in the car. Buying any V12 (even the W222) as a used car is a very risky endeavor.....especially if you live on a limited budget. And now that warranty coverage for the used ones is basically non-existent (unless you buy CPO), there could be significant costs for repairs on all of the extra stuff that you don't get or are rare on the S550, like the MBC, the V12 (which is not as worry free as some members of this board may try to convince you), and suspension & brake components along with motor & trans mounts which take more of a beating due to the extra weight up front and high torque. The same people may even tell you that there is absolutely nothing to worry about in purchasing a V12 bi-turbo car, even one with high miles. Because anybody could get lucky and find that unicorn that's been hiding on the back side of the moon that could be mostly trouble free. An old guy with serious cognitive issues got elected president, supposedly fair and square after hiding out in his basement, so anything is possible.

I love when these old threads are resurrected from the dead. It gives us the chance to see how people like our moderator have completely changed their tune about the V12 motors in the 3+ years since this thread was launched.

MBNUT1

Is that a true statement?

DaveW68

Well.....yeah. If you read through this thread and read his comments, he talks about how incredibly expensive it is to maintain and fix a V12 car. I believe he said to budget up to $10k per year if you buy one. But in more recent threads he talks about the good reliability of the V12 cars and that they aren't that expensive to maintain....and stuff doesn't break much on them, even as they get higher in miles.

(silently waiting for his retort that he was "only referring to the W221 and earlier V12 models", even though those engines share over 90% of the same parts (going all the way back to 2003), have identical torque numbers to the W222 (starting in 2007) even though the engine was punched out to 6.0 L from 5.5, and have just a few less HP.)